Mistagear
www.xgamesbowling.com
The United States Bowling Congress on Saturday announced in this news release that it “recently concluded a re-evaluation of Glenn Allison’s 900 series award application from 1982” and had decided to make no changes in its recognition — rather non-recognition — of the famed score turned down by the American Bowling Congress (one of the two groups that joined to form USBC).
Earlier this year, I outlined my views on why Allison's 900 should be recognized in some fashion in this blog with the headline “The time is long past for the United States Bowling Congress to certify Hall of Famer Glenn Allison’s 900 series.”
Allison rolled what is widely considered the greatest league bowling series in history at La Habra Bowl in La Habra, California, on July 1, 1982. But ABC did not approve the Hall of Famer’s 900 because it ruled that the lane conditions did not meet the far stricter rules of that time.
The ruling, which survived a court challenge, has been met with widespread scorn since ABC/USBC essentially abandoned all standards for lane conditions (other than for Sport Bowling) more than two decades ago: There is no doubt the condition Allison bowled 900 on would be approved under the rules of the past more than two decades.
Yet USBC has decided to offer Allison’s 900 no recognition, not even some sort of conditional recognition with an asterisk that recognizes the score was turned down under the rules of that time but was shot under conditions that have been the industry standard for more than two decades.
“The bowling community is very passionate about this issue and we heard calls from a diverse group of voices asking USBC to re-consider Glenn Allison’s award,” USBC President Andrew Cain said in the USBC news release. “The USBC Board of Directors has reviewed all historical documents on two separate occasions. While USBC has the highest respect and admiration for Glenn Allison, we can’t turn back the hand of time and change the rules in 1982.”
Note to USBC: No one is asking you to do that!
The release noted that at the time of Allison’s 900 about 8 percent of award scores were denied.
“Any official change to Glenn Allison’s 900 would also impact thousands of scores in that era,” Cain said in the release. “As a National Governing Body with a legal responsibility to enforce rules uniformly, we simply can’t re-write history for one score and apply a different standard more than 30 years later.”
Here is where USBC and I (along with many others) differ.
As I wrote in my blog on Allison’s 900: “The easy answer is simply to recognize all of those scores as well, including another famous score by a legend that was turned down a decade before Allison’s: Ray Orf’s 890."
USBC's inflexibility on this issue makes no sense to me: I will wager anything that the organization would receive little, if any, negative reaction from the bowling community by doing something that makes complete logical and moral sense. And anyone who did argue with such a ruling would have scorn heaped upon them by the bowling community.
There have been effectively zero rules on lane conditions for more than two decades — reactive resin balls are not hindered in any meaningful way by 3 units of oil — and it would be logical for USBC to say that it is retroactively recognizing ALL scores shot by all bowlers in the history of certified competition that were turned down based on non-complying lane conditions because they likely would have been approved based on the current rules.
USBC also should say that it will spend no money on awards or recognition of the scores — in effect, it is simply a symbolic recognition of reality. I think there is no doubt bowlers will understand that USBC does not have the money or manpower to do so, and bowlers only get one award per lifetime now anyway.
For any scores that would make the record books — such as Allison’s 900 — USBC will attach an asterisk tied to an explanation of its ruling.
That asterisk says it all: the score(s) didn’t meet the rules of the day, but deserves recognition because it would be approved under the rules of the current game.
That does NOT change the rules of 1982. It simply tells anyone that the scores of that day would be approved UNDER THE RULES OF TODAY, thereby giving people without knowledge of what bowling once was vs. what it is today understanding of what Glenn Allison accomplished.
It’s sad that USBC won’t do something that is so obviously the right thing to do — at least with that asterisk, which lets anyone looking at the record book know that there is more to the story.
Those angered by this decision need to realize that the bottom line that really matters is that knowledgeable bowlers KNOW what Allison did was a greater feat than any other league score ever shot, and deserves some sort of official recognition. I have talked to tons of top bowlers and not one thinks otherwise.
That should give Glenn more satisfaction than any ruling by USBC could.
I do fully agree with the final statement in the USBC release, which notes that USBC’s Board of Directors has agreed the issue is now settled given that all the evidence has been considered.
“Glenn Allison is a living legend and a Hall of Famer who will always be known not only for his bowling talents, but the incredible class he displays as an ambassador for our sport,” Cain said in the release. “While this decision may not be the outcome some people hoped for, I ask that we can all come together and respect the conclusion. It is time to close this chapter and move forward.”
I’ve had my say. Allison’s numerous supporters have made a great effort on his behalf. USBC has made its ruling.
It’s a logically and morally incorrect ruling, but it IS the organization’s ruling.
It’s time to accept that, as the saying goes, it is what it is.
Copied from Jeff Richgells blog
Earlier this year, I outlined my views on why Allison's 900 should be recognized in some fashion in this blog with the headline “The time is long past for the United States Bowling Congress to certify Hall of Famer Glenn Allison’s 900 series.”
Allison rolled what is widely considered the greatest league bowling series in history at La Habra Bowl in La Habra, California, on July 1, 1982. But ABC did not approve the Hall of Famer’s 900 because it ruled that the lane conditions did not meet the far stricter rules of that time.
The ruling, which survived a court challenge, has been met with widespread scorn since ABC/USBC essentially abandoned all standards for lane conditions (other than for Sport Bowling) more than two decades ago: There is no doubt the condition Allison bowled 900 on would be approved under the rules of the past more than two decades.
Yet USBC has decided to offer Allison’s 900 no recognition, not even some sort of conditional recognition with an asterisk that recognizes the score was turned down under the rules of that time but was shot under conditions that have been the industry standard for more than two decades.
“The bowling community is very passionate about this issue and we heard calls from a diverse group of voices asking USBC to re-consider Glenn Allison’s award,” USBC President Andrew Cain said in the USBC news release. “The USBC Board of Directors has reviewed all historical documents on two separate occasions. While USBC has the highest respect and admiration for Glenn Allison, we can’t turn back the hand of time and change the rules in 1982.”
Note to USBC: No one is asking you to do that!
The release noted that at the time of Allison’s 900 about 8 percent of award scores were denied.
“Any official change to Glenn Allison’s 900 would also impact thousands of scores in that era,” Cain said in the release. “As a National Governing Body with a legal responsibility to enforce rules uniformly, we simply can’t re-write history for one score and apply a different standard more than 30 years later.”
Here is where USBC and I (along with many others) differ.
As I wrote in my blog on Allison’s 900: “The easy answer is simply to recognize all of those scores as well, including another famous score by a legend that was turned down a decade before Allison’s: Ray Orf’s 890."
USBC's inflexibility on this issue makes no sense to me: I will wager anything that the organization would receive little, if any, negative reaction from the bowling community by doing something that makes complete logical and moral sense. And anyone who did argue with such a ruling would have scorn heaped upon them by the bowling community.
There have been effectively zero rules on lane conditions for more than two decades — reactive resin balls are not hindered in any meaningful way by 3 units of oil — and it would be logical for USBC to say that it is retroactively recognizing ALL scores shot by all bowlers in the history of certified competition that were turned down based on non-complying lane conditions because they likely would have been approved based on the current rules.
USBC also should say that it will spend no money on awards or recognition of the scores — in effect, it is simply a symbolic recognition of reality. I think there is no doubt bowlers will understand that USBC does not have the money or manpower to do so, and bowlers only get one award per lifetime now anyway.
For any scores that would make the record books — such as Allison’s 900 — USBC will attach an asterisk tied to an explanation of its ruling.
That asterisk says it all: the score(s) didn’t meet the rules of the day, but deserves recognition because it would be approved under the rules of the current game.
That does NOT change the rules of 1982. It simply tells anyone that the scores of that day would be approved UNDER THE RULES OF TODAY, thereby giving people without knowledge of what bowling once was vs. what it is today understanding of what Glenn Allison accomplished.
It’s sad that USBC won’t do something that is so obviously the right thing to do — at least with that asterisk, which lets anyone looking at the record book know that there is more to the story.
Those angered by this decision need to realize that the bottom line that really matters is that knowledgeable bowlers KNOW what Allison did was a greater feat than any other league score ever shot, and deserves some sort of official recognition. I have talked to tons of top bowlers and not one thinks otherwise.
That should give Glenn more satisfaction than any ruling by USBC could.
I do fully agree with the final statement in the USBC release, which notes that USBC’s Board of Directors has agreed the issue is now settled given that all the evidence has been considered.
“Glenn Allison is a living legend and a Hall of Famer who will always be known not only for his bowling talents, but the incredible class he displays as an ambassador for our sport,” Cain said in the release. “While this decision may not be the outcome some people hoped for, I ask that we can all come together and respect the conclusion. It is time to close this chapter and move forward.”
I’ve had my say. Allison’s numerous supporters have made a great effort on his behalf. USBC has made its ruling.
It’s a logically and morally incorrect ruling, but it IS the organization’s ruling.
It’s time to accept that, as the saying goes, it is what it is.
Copied from Jeff Richgells blog
